Bikers represent a small portion of gangs, have international reputations

Matt Levin

Updated
9:23 pm CDT, Tuesday, May 19, 2015

See 15 notorious gangs in the U.S. and abroad.

Biker clubs only represent about 2.5 percent of gang activity in the United States. But the Justice Department often keeps a close eye on the larger groups thanks to their purported roles in weapons and drug trafficking, extortion and violent crimes. Here are 15 infamous biker gangs in the United States and around the world.

Biker clubs only represent about 2.5 percent of gang activity in the United States. But the Justice Department often keeps a close eye on the larger groups thanks to their purported roles in weapons and drug trafficking, extortion and violent crimes. Here are 15 infamous biker gangs in the United States and around the world.

Bikers represent a small portion of gangs, have international reputations

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The Hollister motorcycle riots (a somewhat fabricated event for Life magazine) raised the image of the outlaw biker into the public eye in 1947. Since then, the violent Hells Angels and rival Bandidos have earned the most widespread notoriety among biker gangs.

Outlaw motorcycle gangs only represent 2.5 percent of gangs in the United States, but they can be a major burden for law enforcement. An FBI survey shows that biker gangs are seen as the most problematic gangs in 11 percent of U.S. districts.

The Bandidos – formed by disaffected youth and young Vietnam vets in Galveston County in 1966 – grabbed widespread infamy this weekend after a deadly shootout with a lesser-known Texas-born group called the Cossacks (formed in Tyler in 1969). The bloody battle at a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco left nine bikers dead.

Turf wars have long played a key role in outlaw biker culture as have drug trafficking, violent schemes and other criminal activities. While many motorcycle club representatives like to refer to themselves as simple riding enthusiasts, their organizations’ records seem to disagree.

See the gallery above for a look at 15 of the most notorious biker gangs in America and worldwide.